


The Mosquito and the Jackal

by Samarii



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys Kissing, Dating, Drama & Romance, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Violence, SO MUCH FLUFF, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-02-27 02:06:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18729520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samarii/pseuds/Samarii
Summary: Mozzie was the newest face in Team Rainbow and wanted to prove that he fit in well with the others. Yet when he is sent on a mission with the operator called Jackal, it started a spark of something else between them. Something more than friendship.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Got another story started for you guys, finally, WOOHOO! Prepare for a fluff-filled fest between the Spaniard and the Aussie!

Not a word was said as the small team boarded the military vehicle. Being only four members, there was no need for a plane or an overly large truck to haul them to their mission objective. In the back of the vehicle was a large shield placed next to an equally large man, who was staring intently at the floor while tracing bullet dents and dings in the shield. 

Another man fixed himself close to the back doors of the vehicle, adjusting the white rubber gloves on his hands and glancing around at the other operators. 

The next operator lazily placed himself by the shield of the large man, with enough space in between the two, of course. In his lap was an elaborate-looking helmet with a purple visor and strange cords twisting up to the crown of the headgear. He leaned his head back against the metal wall of the vehicle and closed his eyes in hopes of getting a few precious moments of sleep before they arrived at their mission objective. 

Just as he was getting comfortable, the last squad member jumped into the back and placed himself right in the middle of all of them. He sat across from the large shield man, spreading his legs out into the small space between the two benches as if he owned it. The shield man raised his gaze and cocked an eyebrow at the bike helmet and sunglasses that were now staring back at him. 

"How do you do?" The helmeted man asked. "You're...Montagne, yeah?" 

The one called Montagne nodded slowly and shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable, "Mozzie?" 

The bike helmet man grinned and raised his arms in a defeated manor, "guilty." 

Montagne hummed in response and went back to his floor staring, signaling to Mozzie that he was done talking. 

The Australian turned to the operator sitting by the doors and glanced down at his gloved hands and caduceus patch, "I reckon' you're Doc then?" 

Doc crossed his arms, "How could you tell?" He asked, mockingly. 

Mozzie snickered as he turned to the last operator. The man with the purple-visored helmet stared back with a small smile on his face. The Australian noticed this and grinned in response, despite the helmet covering most of his mouth and his sunglasses hiding the glint in his eyes. 

"Fancy lookin' headgear you got there." Mozzie stated, gesturing to the other man's helmet. 

He nodded, "yes, it is. I can track footprints with this beauty." The man patted the device. 

"Aah, you must be Jackal then. Quite the sneaky bastard from what I've heard." Mozzie teased the one called Jackal. 

Jackal smirked and nodded, "Yes I am, so watch yourself, newbie." His Spanish accent very apparent as he talked. 

Mozzie found himself raising an eyebrow as the other man spoke. He liked the accent quite a lot. "Bah, I'm not fuckin' afraid." Mozzie waved him off. 

Jackal offered a lazy smile and rested his head back against the vehicle's metal frame once again. He closed his eyes and instantly felt sleep pulling him back under.

\-----------

"...ckal...Jackal! Mate, come on, wake up, dammit!" A voice crawled into Jackal's brain and pulled him back to reality. He jerked up in his seat and looked up at the source of the voice to find Mozzie with his hand on his shoulder, "it's time to go!" Jackal jumped out of his seat and placed his helmet onto his head. The Spaniard followed Mozzie out of the back of the vehicle and looked around at their destination. It was an aging building, appearing to have once been a burger joint. Why the White Masks chose this place out of everything, Six wasn't sure, but what she was sure about, was that the enemy had a hostage that needed to be saved. And that's where Team Six came in.

Jackal met up with the other group members who looked like they all wanted to rip his head off for keeping them, but no time for that--a hostage needed their help. The team approached a soft wall and Jackal placed one of his breach charges carefully. He turned back and hid beside it, as did the other members, while the Spaniard pressed a button and blew a large hole for entry.

Montagne deployed his shield and gestured for the others to follow after him, "this way, I'll lead." The other three operators filed behind the large Frenchman in a makeshift train. They stuck close together and each member kept a sharp eye on a different direction, front, back, left, right, as they made their way into the building. 

Distant voices could be heard deeper into the old burger joint, telling the team that the enemy was placed in the center of the building. Montagne led the group down a narrow hallway, then another, and turned a corner to finally be met by several Masks waiting for them. 

"Contact!" A Mask yelled, only to be promptly taken out by a fast-reacting Jackal. Montagne charged forward, knocking into one of the Masks, which caused him to stumble back before earning a finishing bullet to the head. Meanwhile, Mozzie took out two more Masks to the left as they took aim, while Doc finished the final enemy on the right. With that corridor cleared, the group went back into formation behind Monty's shield and pressed forward. 

Mozzie could feel his heart pounding in his chest. As Jackal mentioned, Mozzie was the newest in Team Rainbow, along with his good friend Gridlock. This was only his second mission so far, so he wanted to keep a good impression on the other members of the Team. 

In his haste, Mozzie broke from the train and checked around the next corner before Montagne did. He wanted to find the enemies first, to show the others what he was capable of. He didn't need the Frenchman's shield, he already had his quick wit to guide him. As he poked around the corner, five more Masks could be seen waiting for them. Mozzie aimed his weapon and fired at one, killing him instantly but also alerting the remaining four of his presence. 

"Mozzie, dammit!" Montagne barked as he marched over to him, blocking him from the enemy fire.

Mozzie backed up and reloaded, "What? I can handle 'em, don't you worry!" 

"No, you need to stay with the team; stick to the plan, don't try your own--" Montagne stopped himself as the Masks threw a flash bang their direction. However, Montagne reacted a second too late and felt the blinding effects of the bang as the ring numbed his hearing. He flinched in his confusion and the shield slipped slightly in his grasp. A White Mask took aim and fired at Montagne, noticing the new opening, hitting Montagne in the shoulder. 

The Frenchman cried out and struggled as he moved his shield back up to protect his body again while backing around the corner for cover. Doc rushed over and stood in front of him to protect him from any stray bullets the Masks decided to fire at them. Mozzie and Jackal took their chance and opened return fire on the remaining Masks, taking them out quickly. 

With the danger gone, Doc quickly turned to Monty and began assessing the situation. He checked the wound throughly and looked to the others, "the bullet is stuck in his shoulder." 

"But we haven't even made it to the hostage." Mozzie blurted. 

Doc glared at him, "I'm aware. Perhaps running ahead by yourself wasn't such a good idea then." 

Mozzie's shoulders dropped and he turned to watch for any incoming enemies instead. So much for proving himself. Jackal reassuringly patted the Aussie's shoulder and looked at Monty, "do you think you can last to the Hostage?" 

Montagne let out a pained sigh then nodded, despite the auditory fuss coming from Doc beside him. Jackal nodded, "good, then here is the new plan: reach the hostage, call for backup, wait it out." The rest of the team agreed and began their way down the cleared hallway. 

Luckily, fewer enemies appeared in the following hallways and they located the hostage tied up in the old kitchen area. Montagne drudged his way over to the woman and deployed his shield in front of her. Doc crouched down next to her and smiled gently, "don't worry, we're here to get you out of this mess." The terrified woman nodded frantically in response. 

Mozzie double checked that his weapon was loaded and glanced at Montagne. He could see the dark bloodstain growing around his wound, a few drops falling to the ground here and there. The Australian felt the pang of guilt in his chest as he watched the Frenchman attenpt to hide his pain. This was his fault. 

Jackal put a hand on Mozzie's shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Stay focused, my friend. Daydream when you're back in your bed, eh?" He grinned at Mozzie who stared at him in confusion. Why was he being so kind to him? 

"What, I can't daydream and fight? Damn, what a shame." Mozzie joked, turning his attention to the entryways for possible enemies. 

Behind him, Doc was talking on his radio: "We have the hostage secured, but a friendly is injured, send backup immediately." He paused to listen for a response. 

"Affirmitive, Doc, backup is on its way." A voice answered back. The team said nothing but it was clear that a slightly bit of pressure was lifted off everyone's shoulders. Despite this, the group wasn't out of the thicket yet. A deep whirring sound could be heard from somewhere else in the building, getting louder and louder every second. 

Monty growled, "dammit. They brought in drones." 

Mozzie's eyes lit up, "drones, eh? No problem then." He switched to the weapon on his back and grinned excitedly as he moved into the nearest hallway. The Aussie aimed the device and fired out a little spider-looking device onto the wall. He moved back into the room and sat cross-legged on the floor, pulling out his tablet. 

He sat and watched the screen intently as an incoming drone drew close to the pest. It hovered through the hallway, passing right by Mozzie's spider, which jumped onto the drone and latched onto the body of the device in one quick movement.

"Yes! Drone acquired!" Mozzie grinned to himself for his accomplishment, his screen lighting up with a view from the hacked device.

"That's great, but there's more drone still.." Doc stated. 

Mozzie grabbed the spider launcher again and waved it at Doc, "don't you worry, my baguette friend, I have more." 

"Did you just call me a--" 

Mozzie jumped back around the corner, ignoring Doc and launching more spiders. Soon the team had three enemy drones now in their hands, all thanks to Mozzie's little devices. 

"Now that we have these snazzy drones, we can use it against 'em." The aussie explained to his team. 

Doc nodded, clearly impressed, "good work, Mozzie. Once you find the enemy through our new eyes, you and Jackal take them out. I'll stay here with Montagne and the hostage. 

\------------

Mozzie finished off the last enemy in the area and turned to Jackal, "looks like we're all clear for the extraction. Bloody backup we called isn't even needed--" Mozzie stopped himself as Jackal raised a finger to gesture for him to quiet. His Eyenox was active and he was studying the floor intently. 

He raised his weapon and slowly moved down a small corridor as he watched the ground for something Mozzie couldn't see. The Spaniard leaned around the corner and opened fire on someone followed by silence falling over them once again. 

Jackal turned back and walked over to Mozzie, turning off his visor, grinning, "little mouse thought he could hide from me." 

Mozzie chuckled then nodded in approval, "nice one." 

The two headed back to their French teammates, letting them know their mission was successful. With the enemies cleared, it was now safe to extract the hostage and get Monty to Doc's proper medical bay back at the base. 

As the group exited the building, a second vehicle roared up to them and out the back came Ash, Blitz, and Lion. Yet they all stopped and stared in confusion as they watched the four original members approach them with the hostage. 

"What happened to 'needing backup'?" Lion growled, clearly irked from being called out there for nothing. 

Doc raised a hand in a gesture to calm Lion, "yes, I know, but Mozzie's device helped us take out the rest of the threat before you got here." 

Ash stepped over to Doc before Lion could spat anymore protest, "we're glad you're all safe. Relatively speaking that is." She looked at Monty's bleeding shoulder. The group hurried the hostage and Montagne into one of the vehicles and the rest of the group followed suit. 

Jackal sat down next to Mozzie, removing his headgear as he did so. The Aussie glanced over at the Eyenox then up at Jackal, "before the mission I said I wasn't afraid of your gizmo here, but after what I saw back in there," he crossed his arms and shuddered slightly, "I think I'm now a little afraid of it." 

Jackal responded with a hardy laugh as he patted Mozzie on the shoulder, "Good, good, I'm glad I was able to convince you." He joked then winked at the much smaller man, "but hey, I'm not the star here; your little insects saved our asses. If it wasn't for you, God knows what would have happened before backup arrived," he shook his head then patted Mozzie's arm, "but did you see Lion's face when they showed up? Oh he was so pissed." He laughed and shook his head again.

Mozzie grinned and found himself laughing along with the Spaniard as he felt his face warm in response. Wait, did he just blush? Mozzie shoved the realization back into the corner of his mind and stretched out his legs and arms instead. That joke Jackal made earlier about daydreaming in his bed didn't sound like such a bad idea anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

It was two days after Mozzie's hostage mission with the rugged Spaniard and he hadn't stopped thinking about him since. He wanted to talk to him more, get to know him, perhaps even become friends. The Aussie wandered down the hall as he searched for the other man, already excited to talk with him. 

As he searched, he passed by the medical bay and heard quiet voices speaking in some other language. He stopped by the door before he passed and listened closer. It was Montagne with Doc speaking French to each other. Mozzie assumed it was a check-up on Monty's fresh bullet wound. He heard through the grapevine that Doc successfully removed the bullet but Monty is now dealing with a slight infection. 

The Australian turned into the doorway and cleared his throat, crossing his arms, "hey, Montagne, you livin' alright?" The two men looked up and turned their attention to the short man. Montagne had his shirt off and Doc was beside him, appearing to have been in the middle of cleaning out the wound. 

Montagne raised his eyebrows, "yes, I'll be fine. Doc's good at what he does." The doctor didn't respond as he returned to cleaning the wound. 

Mozzie nodded, "good! That's good." He sighed and uncrossed his arms, "look, mate, I'm sorry about all this. It's my fault you're hurt." 

Montagne nodded, "I know. You were stupid and reckless." He stated flatly. Doc glanced up at his French comrade then over to Mozzie. 

Mozzie hesitated then let out a dry laugh meant to cover his growing feeling of guilt, "Fuck right, I was. I'll take the next bullet for you, don't worry." 

"I count on it." Montagne replied. It was hard to tell if he was joking or not. 

With that, Mozzie left the two men alone and continued his search. He found himself in the messhall and scanned across the faces of those there. 

Still no Jackal. 

The Aussie grumbled and turned around to search through the halls again when he ran into a figure approaching him. He stumbled back and felt a hand grab his arm to catch him. After Mozzie regained his composure, he looked up to see the Spaniard smiling down at him.

"Hola." Said Jackal. 

Mozzie grinned back, "Hey! I've been looking for you. Where the hell do you hide?" 

"A very special place. It's called: my room." Jackal teased. 

Mozzie shook his head, "fucking hell, I'm stupid." 

Jackal barked out a laugh and patted the smaller man's shoulder, "it's okay, my friend. What did you need me for?" He asked kindly.

"You and I made a pretty good team on that mission the other day, yeah? Maybe we should train together and get to know each other more." Mozzie explained. But after he did, he felt stupid. How old was he, eight? He sounded like a child asking for a playmate. Which is kind of what he WAS doing, actually, but as an adult. In a special forces group. Mozzie mentally kicked himself. 

Jackal raised an eyebrow and slowly nodded as he listened to Mozzie's request. He put on his warm smile again and chuckled, "ahh, not a bad idea! Come, I want to see your fighting style." He slung an arm over the Aussie's shoulder and took him along to the large gym the base had.

Once the two arrived, Jackal took Mozzie over to the large mats placed out for wrestling and sparring. He took his arm off the small man and began to stretch. He was wearing a simple black sports shirt and dark purple shorts, a common day-off outfit for him. Mozzie walked over to Spaniard and also began to stretch, staring at Jackal in curiosity. He realized how much the Spaniard's mission outfit covered compared to the casual outfit he wore now. He was large in the shoulders and blocky at the waist, complete with large biceps, hamstrings, and calves. 

Normally Mozzie loved a challenge against larger foes, especially since practically all of them were anyways, but now that he has realized just how large, no, giant, Jackal was compared to himself, he felt a tiny hint of fear in sparring with him. 

Jackal turned around and grinned at the Aussie, "ready?" 

"Fuck yeah, come at me!" Mozzie waved his hands toward himself and smirked, doing his best to bury that tinge of fear. 

Jackal stepped slowly stepped closer to Mozzie, staring him down with intense brown eyes. He watched the Aussie's every move like a predator waiting for the moment to jump his prey. He bent over slightly, moving his arms down and opening his fists. Mozzie took note of this and shifted his weight to repare for a charge attack he predicted was coming. Jackal jumped forward but at the last second before contact, switched his weight and instead slammed his fist into Mozzie's side, causing him to coil sideways and fall to the ground. 

"Gah, fuck me! That was bloody sneaky!" Mozzie squawked, holding his now tender side. 

Jackal laughed and held a hand out to Mozzie, "I saw you prepare for a frontal attack, so I changed to a side attack instead. So yes, very sneaky." 

Mozzie let out a painful laugh and took his hand and let him pull him back to his feet. He shook his head and dropped his arm back to his side, "Maybe hold your punches next time, good God, mate." 

Jackal blinked at him, "that was me holding my punch." 

Mozzie felt his stomach drop, "you're shitting me." Jackal smiled warmly and shook his head. 

"Bloody hell, I'd be in with Doc right now if you didn't then!" Mozzie laughed, his side still throbbing, mentally reminding himself to get an Advil after they were finished.

Instead of laughing along like Mozzie expected him to, Jackal wore a slightly concerned expression, "next time I'll hold back more then. I'd feel terrible if you ended up in there because of me." He rubbed the back of his neck. 

Mozzie raised his eyebrows in suprise. Jackal barely knew Mozzie, yet he was open enough to express his concern about him. It was certainly a new concept to Mozzie. Of course his best mate Gridlock could say something like that to him, not that she ever would, but they were close enough to share personal concern for each other. 

"Oh, well, don't worry mate, I know you wouldn't do somethin' like that on purpose." Mozzie responded awkwardly. 

Jackal noticed the stiffness in the Aussie's voice and cleared his throat, "perhaps that was a little too 'warm and fuzzy' for you, huh? Sorry, sorry." He let out a quiet dry laugh. 

Mozzie shrugged and nodded, "I will admit: just a smidge, yeah, but it's whatever. You're all right in my book." He grinned and flashed a cheesy thumbs up to Jackal. 

Jackal smiled brightly in return and patted the Australian's shoulders with both hands, "I'm happy to hear that! Now let's go again, shall we?" He took position on the mat again, as did Mozzie.

\--------

After sparring for a good two hours, the two decide to call it a night. It was getting close to curfew and both men were exhausted anyways. The two said goodnight to each other and headed their seperate ways. Mozzie didn't even bother to brush his teeth or shower, he was too tired for it, 'in the morning' he convinced himself. 

The Australian entered his room and quickly changed into his sleep clothes, followed by practically falling onto his bed. He fell asleep as soon after his head hit the pillow. 

Then there was knocking. 

Someone was knocking on his door. 

Mozzie pried his eyes open and slowly looked over in the direction of the door and waited. The knocking came again and he huffed as he sat up in bed and looked over at the clock on the nightstand. It read a quarter passed midnight. Who the hell was up at this hour? 

Mozzie dragged himself off the bed, over to the door, and slowly opened it, "yeah?" He asked groggily. It was hard to make out who it was with such little light filtering in the from hall. 

"Did I wake you?" A voice asked. Mozzie instantly recognized it as Jackal's.

The Australian found himself perking up some after realizing who it was and rubbed his eyes, "yeah, it's after midnight, I was dead asleep." 

"I'm sorry." Jackal replied. Mozzie could tell from the other man's tone that he felt guilty. 

Mozzie shook his head, "don't worry 'bout it. What's wrong?" 

"Would you like to look at the stars with me?" Jackal asked. 

Mozzie blinked at the place where Jackal's face probably was, "do I...what?" 

"Do you want to go stargazing with me? It's very clear tonight, we should have a nice view since we're away from city lights. What do you say?" 

Mozzie stared into the blackness before him and debated in his head. After a short moment he shrugged, "I guess so. Not for very long, though, I like my sleep." He responded. 

Jackal let out a relieved sigh and stepped out of the way for Mozzie. The smaller man stepped out into the hall with the other and they made their way out of the building. Jackal found a ladder up to the roof and the two climbed up, finding a comfortable enough spot to sit down. 

Jackal practically fell down to the ground and spread out as he laid there. Mozzie decided just to sit and sprawl out his legs instead of collapsing like his Spaniard comrade. "So why the hell are you up this bloody late?" Mozzie asked. 

Jackal flicked his gaze from the sky to Mozzie then flashed a tired smile, "I have acute insomnia. Being up this late is a very normal thing for me." He answered causally. 

Mozzie raised his eyebrows, "is that right? Damn, you poor bastard. How do you manage to go on your missions then?" 

Beside him, Jackal shifted uncomfortably, "sometimes it's hard. Sometimes I have trouble telling the good guys from the bad." He stared up at the sky and quickly added, "but there's never been an accident; I plan to keep it that way." 

Mozzie's eyes widened and he stared down at the space between his legs in thought. He looked back at Jackal, "did you ever think I was a bad guy on our mission?" 

Jackal shook his head, "no, no. It doesn't happen every mission, just every now and then." 

"And there's nothing you can do to stop it?" Mozzie asked. 

"Well, sleeping more would surely do it." Jackal answered then laughed, "they make sleeping pills to help with insomnia, but they don't do much for me. I've also been offered therapy before to help me fix my sleep schedule and start some healthy habits, but I don't need it. I've been battling this for years, I handle it fine." 

Mozzie listened in astonishment, "You're a tough son-of-a-bitch, Jackal, I'll give you that."

Jackal turned his head to smile at Mozzie, "you think so, eh?" 

Mozzie nodded, "yeah, to be battling that shit for years now and somehow never losing it? That's brutal; in a good way." He grinned. 

Jackal smiled again and sat up as he scooted himself closer to Mozzie. He then laid back down again, this time placing his head on Mozzie's leg. Mozzie tensed and crossed his arms, unsure of what to do with himself. Jackal either didn't notice or just didn't care and instead slowly closed his eyes, instantly falling asleep. 

Mozzie watched Jackal's face, studying his slightly open mouth as he breathed in and out. The Aussie let out a deep sigh and gently patted the Spaniard's chest, "ah shit, you damn teddy bear." He stared up at the stars and let Jackal sleep a little while longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was super low-energy, but the next one will spice up with more action, I promise :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE FLUFF TRAIN HAS LEFT THE STATION AND IS FULL SPEED AHEAD IN THIS CHAPTER. 
> 
> CHOO CHOO!

A few days had passed since Mozzie and Jackal were on the roof. They continued to spend time together; training, eating, talking about whatever came to their minds. On the fourth day they were called for a new mission, another hostage situation. The two had gotten a good understanding on how each other's unique tool and fighting style worked, so they were excited to work together and see how they do as a team again.

This time is was Jackal, Mozzie, Blitz, and Glaz. The plan was to send in all but Glaz, who would back them up from his sniper's nest across the street from the missiom objective. With that, the team climbed into the back of the military truck and headed on their way.

Mozzie, of course, sat next to Mozzie who was tapping his foot out of excitment and nervousness. He glanced up at Jackal through his sunglasses in hope of catching his gaze. Jackal had his head rested back again the vehicle, appearing to already be half asleep. Mozzie nudged Jackal's arm gently, making Jackal open his eyes fully and turn his head.

Mozzie grinned playfully while Jackal stared down at him in confusion, "do you need something?"

Mozzie shook his head, "nah, not at all."

"Then why did you get my attention?"

Mozzie shrugged, "just to bug you, I suppose."

" _You_ bugging _me_?" Jackal chuckled, " _you_ are the bug here..." he stopped for a moment then nodded to himself, "yes, that's what I will call you from now on. Bug."

Mozzie raised his eyebrows, "you know what a mozzie is, right?"

Jackal shook his head. Mozzie smirked and looked away, "never mind then, Bug is just fine."

Jackal smiled to himself, secretly happy that Mozzie actually accepted his nickname willingly. Meanwhile, Glaz acted like he wasn't paying attention as he inspected his rifle but secretly listened as the two talked.

Blitz smiled over at the two men, his hands resting on his shield that sat in front of him, "you two seem to be getting along well." The two men nodded in response, "good, I'm glad. I'm glad that Mozzie seems to be settling in well."

"Yeah I am." Mozzie replied, mentally noting how motherly the German was being to him. Was he always like this? The group finally arrived at the mission objective, leaving Mozzie no time to ponder on the German teammate.

Glaz hopped out of the back first and made his way over to his nest, leaving the other three to plan an entry site. They settled on a breach point on the left end of the building wall, positioning themselves as Jackal placed the breach charge.

After it blew, Blitz raised his shield and instructed the other two to follow him. They crept inside and searched the immediate area for enemies. Finding none, Blitz led them on into another part of the building. As he turned a corner he spotted three Masks waiting for them, "contact!" Blitz yelled, bracing his shield.

The German took a few hits to his shield before flashing the light at the enemy. The men screamed at the bright light and instinctively backed away, shielding their eyes. Mozzie and Jackal took their chance and shot returning fire, killing all three.

"Nice work. Let's move on, ja?" Blitz said, continuing his march down the hall.

The group repeated this plan of wait, flash, and shoot several times before finally reaching the hostage. A man was tied up and sitting by several crates and barrels stacked around him. His eyes lit up as the team neared him, desperately squirming in his restraints and attempting to get their attention despite the tape over his mouth.

Blitz noticed him and smiled from behind his shield, "we see you, friend, don't worry!" Blitz moved toward the hostage as Mozzie and Jackal swept over the rest of the room, finding no hostiles.

Blitz crouched down beside the man and helped him up, making sure he was uninjured and able to walk with them. "Stay behind my shield, understand? Mozzie, Jackal, let's go." He called to the others.

The two other men followed suit after the German, making their way to the entrance they had made. Jackal marched beside Mozzie, scanning the halls and corners as they passed, feeling more on edge than he should, "something doesn't feel right..." Mozzie furrowed his brows, not taking his eyes off their surroundings, now even more alert after what Jackal said.

The breach was in sight, just at the end of the hall now. The team neared it, the relief of a successful mission starting to wash over them. However, the light from the breach was suddenly snuffed as shapes moved in front of it, blocking their way out entirely.

More White Masks had cut off their exit.

"Shit!" Blitz barked, raising his shield to protect the hostage.

In the hallway to Jackal's left, even more White Masks were storming toward them. The three surrounded the hostage in an attempt to protect him and to make it so none of them could be snuck up in from behind.

"Dammit, Glaz, why didn't you warn us?" Blitz barked into his earpiece only to be met with silence. "Glaz!" He tried again. Silence.

"Fuck, we need to get to him _now_!" Mozzie shouted, his anger rising.

Jackal nudged Mozzie somewhat harshly between shots, a warning for him to keep his head. Mozzie sucked in a breath and focused on taking out the Masks instead. Steadily, the White Masks began to fall, making their numbers dwindle down to only a handful. In their desperation, one ran at them head-on, shooting wildly in their direction. Blitz braced his shield, pressing the button to flash his light at the enemy but the small battery had been exhausted from his use at the beginning of the mission, leaving him defenseless.

The Mask ran into the German's shield with his shoulder, causing him to stumble back onto the ground and let go of the hostage. Mozzie and Jackal turned their attention to the crazed Mask and took him out as fast as they could, then turning to pick off the last of the Masks. Jackal turned to the hostage and reached over to pick him pack up on his feet but then stopped cold.

Blitz scrambled back to his feet and watched Jackal tense. He followed his gaze to the hostage, notcing the large hunting knife that was now lodged in the man's gut.

Jackal dropped to his knees next to the hostage and gripped his shoulders, "no, no, no! Can you hear me? Please, try to make a noise!" He gently shook him, watching the man's eyes lose focus. Jackal sucked in a breath and shook him again, "please! Talk! Please..."

"Jackal..." Blitz said gently.

"We had you, you were safe.." he leaned forward and checked for breathing, not wanting to accept the man's death, "please, Faisal, please don't do this." Jackal began to sob, his tears falling onto the man's lifeless face.

"Jackal, we need to move, Glaz needs us." Blitz said.

Mozzie walked over and put a hand on the Spaniard's shoulder, "come on, mate, get up."

Jackal sniffed and slowly got to his feet, turning to Mozzie and hanging his head. "Right, yes, you're right. Glaz needs our help now."

The group move out of the building and make haste to Glaz's nest up in the building across the street. The three of them enter the nest to find Glaz unconscious and bleeding, but still alive. He had been stabbed in the back and left for dead presumably by the White Masks that ambushed the other three members.

Blitz radioed for a pickup and the men carefully carried Glaz outside to wait. They also retrieved the hostage's body to return him to his family for a proper burial.

Mozzie sat close to Jackal as they rested against the building to rest. He tapped his foot, unsure if he should talk or say nothing. Meanwhile, Jackal watched the ground between his legs, his head hanging low. Finally, Mozzie decided to speak, "how you holdin' up?" He turned his head to the Spaniard, hoping to catch his gaze. Jackal didn't move his head as he sniffed and didn't reply.

Mozzie looked away and cleared his throat, "did you know the guy?"

Now Jackal raised his head, "what?"

"You called him Fainal or Fasal or something." Mozzie explained.

Mozzie watched Jackal's face pale as some ancient fear crawled into his eyes, "Faisal..." he began to tear up again, hanging his head in his hands.

Mozzie's eye widened, confused by Jackal's reaction, "wh-whoa, whoa! It's okay!" He reached over and put a hand on his back to comfort him. "It's alright, don't worry." The Aussie chewed on his lip, unsure if he was really helping his friend or not.

The Spaniard continued to cry until their pickup arrived to get them. Ash and Doc crawled out the back and Doc assessed the unconscious Glaz before they carried him into the back of the truck. He talked to Blitz as Mozzie and Ash handled the hostage's body, "he's bleeding and will most likely be unconcious for a day or two, but he'll live. We're very lucky the Masks were hasty in their attack and didn't hit a vital points."

"That's good to hear, thanks, Doc." Blitz replied, then leaned closer, "Oh, uh, once we get back to the base, you might want to talk with Jackal. He had a breakdown when the hostage died and cried while we waited for you." He told the Frenchman quietly, glancing in Jackal's direction. He was still sitting against the wall, not paying attention to anything and watching his feet instead.

Doc glanced over at Jackal then back to Blitz, "Mm, I see. Alright, I will call him in for a checkup after Glaz is taken care of. Thank you for letting me know."

Meanwhile, Mozzie and Ash had positioned the hostage in a body bag and placed him on the floor of the truck. Glaz was set on one of the benches, forcing the rest of the operators to share the bench on the other side. Doc then Blitz slid into the back, followed by Mozzie and Jackal while Ash hopped in the front to take the gang home.

The ride back was completely silent, Mozzie sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Jackal in an attempt to comfort him, letting him know he was there. He wasn't crying now, but every once and a while he would sniff, letting the others know of his upset state.

Once they were back at the base, Jackal jumped out of the back as soon as the truck came to a stop, wasting no time heading back inside, presumably heading to his room. Doc, Ash, and Blitz carried Glaz into the medical ward and then came back for the hostage's body, insisting they could handle it and didn't need Mozzie's help.

Mozzie shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at the loose rocks on the ground. 'What a shitshow', he thought. He debated whether he should go find Jackal and try to cheer him up or leave him to his own thoughts for now. He decided it was best to leave him alone and find some inner peace by himself.

Dinner time came and Mozzie ate with Gridlock that night. Normally he would sit with both Gridlock and Jackal but Jackal didn't seem to have come out to eat.

Gridlock was currently talking about some mission she had with some operators she had befriended, but Mozzie wasn't really listening. He would nod every once and a while but really he was watching the hallway to the bedrooms, hoping Jackal would emerge and come join them.

"...wasn't that difficult, luckily, but I still--. Mozzie? You're not even listening, are you, mate?" Gridlock said, waving her hand in front of Mozzie's face.

"What? Of course I am! You were saying how the mission difficult and...yeah." mozzie answered, turning his head to look at her.

Gridlock raised an eyebrow, "he's probably not coming out tonight, you know that right? He came back devastated, he's not recovering from that shock for a while. Just give him some time, he'll come 'round." She patted his back rather roughly.

"Right..." mozzie replied, now messing with his food scraps.

Gridlock stared at him in bewilderment, "you must really care about him. You're  _never_ this quiet. It's really weird." She shuddered then got up, "go find him if you want, I guess. Maybe seeing you  _is_ the thing to make him come around." She smiled down at her friend and left to dump her garbage.

\---------------

Mozzie decided to take Gridlock's advice and went to visit Jackal in his room. After searching for far longer than he'd like to admit, the Aussie found Jackal's room and knocked several times. He put his hands on his hips as he waited and tapped his food nervously. Maybe Jackal didn't want to see him, maybe he wanted to be alone--

The door finally creaked open, haulting Mozzie's thoughts. Mozzie looked up to be met with Jackal's solemn face staring back at him. For once in his life, Mozzie felt at a loss for words. What should he say? Should he say anything? The Aussie opened his mouth to take the leap, only to be cut off as a pair of arms wrapped around him tightly.

Jackal rested his head on Mozzie's as he tightened his hold on the smaller man even more. Mozzie let out a little sound in suprise, and slight pain, but then relaxed and let Jackal constrict him in his embrace anyway. The Spaniard let out a tired sigh and closed his eyes, not saying anything.

After some time had passed, Mozzie gave in and slowly wrapped his own arms around the taller man. He grumbled and buried his face in his Jackal's neck, "ah dammit, you're making me soft."

A small chuckle came from Jackal, "I'm glad you came, bug."

"Fuck, you're really going to use that?" Mozzie hissed, now trying to pull away.

Jackal laughed and hugged the small man tighter, completely trapping him, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." He then pulled away and stared at Mozzie with his deep brown eyes, "I have a question."

"Oh yeah?" Mozzie replied.

"Will you...stay with me tonight?"

Mozzie's eyes widened and he felt his cheeks heating up, "what? Like in your room?"

Jackal chuckled, "yes, in my room. But I didn't mean it like that. When we were on the roof, I fell asleep with you so easily and after what happened today," he sighed and closed his eyes momentarily then opened them again, "I know I won't be sleeping for a while, so perhaps if you stayed..." he trailed off.

"You could get some sleep." Mozzie finished.

Jackal reddened in the face and nodded quickly as he avoided eye contact.

Mozzie rubbed the back of his neck and put his other hand on his hip, "oh boy..."

'"Don't feel you have to, I know we're not a couple or anything, and it is an odd request, so--"

A ham covered Jackal's mouth, "Stop talking." Mozzie grinned, "I'll do it."

Jackal blinked and took Mozzie's hand off his mouth, "really?" The Aussie nodded. Jackal let out a breathy laugh and unexpectedly grabbed Mozzie in his arms again, this time picking him up and stepping backward into his room.

"Jackal, what're you--" Mozzie asked, squirming in the Spaniard's arms.

"You said you would stay with me, so now you're staying." He answered.

"Well yeah, when it was time to sleep, we still have a while before then. Plus I'm not in my sleep clothes!"

"That's fine, you can wear mine." Jackal grinned.

Mozzie blushed and turned his head away, "alright. Fine."

"Good." Jackal dragged the Aussie over to his bed and fell backward onto it, forcing Mozzie to lay on top of him. Mozzie let out a huff and decided not to make a fuss. Noticing this, Jackal hummed and rested his head back against his pillow.

"You seemed to have cheered up quite fast. You're welcome." Mozzie smirked.

"Yes, thank you." Jackal replied then smiled warmly, "really, thank you, Mozzie." He tightened his grip on the small man once again, cuddling him like a child would his stuffed animal.

Mozzie grumbled and rested his head down on Jackal's chest, "yeah, you're welcome, you fuckin' teddy bear."

Jackal hummed happily at the aggressive nickname and began to dose off already.

"Wait, what about my clothes? Ah, fuck it." Mozzie stretched and made himself comfortable against Jackal. His thoughts reminded him about the person Jackal had mentioned back on their mission, Faisal, making him wonder who that was. Whoever it was, he was clearly important to Jackal, since mentioning the name made him infinitely more upset. But he shoved the question into the back of his mind, knowing it was better to ask about at a later time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized after the last chapter that poor Gridlock was pretty forgotten in this story, so as you read, I added her a bit in this one. After all, her and Mozzie are best friends, so I think it's important that she's there for him at least once ;) 
> 
> Also, I think chapter 4 may actually be the last chapter, but I'll have to see how it goes. :o
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the last chapter! Sorry it took so long to get it out, but now that it is, I hope you like it! :D

As the days slid by, Jackal and Mozzie's...what would you call it? Friendship? It felt a little closer than a friendship, but not quite a romantic relationship. So what was it then? Mozzie had no idea. He was confused on his status with the Spaniard, but even so, their bond grew as he continued to spend nights with the taller man; cuddled under the blankets as a single comfortable mass.

Jackal commented on how much better he had been sleeping since Mozzie decided to give him nightly visits, which only further encouraged the Aussie to stay with him. If he was sleeping better, that meant he didn't suffer from the effects of insomnia, which also meant that he could perform better on his mission. Which he did indeed.

Mozzie and Jackal had gone on more missions as partners (along with other ops, of course) and they had been successful on every single one of them so far. No bombs detonating, no wounded teammates, no dead hostages. Mozzie noticed as time passed that Jackal had become even more happy and affectionate, if that were even possible. He smiled at everything everyone said--especially if that someone was Mozzie--and laughed at the stupidest jokes hi teammates had to offer. As for the affection, Jackal always seemed to find some excuse to drape his arm around Mozzie, or put his hand on his shoulder, or occasionally even swallow the Aussie in a hug. At first Mozzie didn't know how to react to it, normally laughing awkwardly and standing still until Jackal stopped touching him. Or other times he did his best to ignore the physical contact by talking to someone nearby or play on his phone. But after a while, he grew used to it and even anticipated when Jackal was going in for a hug. In fact, he had started to hug back most of the time, too.

As for today, it was early in the morning and Mozzie has decided he wanted a big breakfast right that second, so he peeled himself out from under the Spaniard who was still snoring away into his pillow. Luckily, Mozzie slept in a white tank top and his underwear so all he had to do was put on sweats over his boxers to get his food. He glanced over at Jackal once he had dressed to see if he was still asleep, which he was.

The Spaniard liked to sleep in sweats and no shirt and Mozzie found himself staring at Jackal's bare chest as it rose and fell. He tilted his head slightly to the side as his eyes slid down to the part of Jackal's stomach that was exposed from under the covers. He watched the toned muscles move ever so slightly with his breathing and Mozzie shook his head to make him focus on the task at hand; breakfast was calling his name.

He made his way out into the messhall to find only a couple operators there. Vigil, Thatcher, Ash, and Finka were strewed across the several tables quietly eating their breakfasts. Mozzie shuffled his way over to the counter and picked out his meal: two portions of oatmeal, toast with jam, an orange, complete with a tea with added honey.

After scarfing down his food he put away his tray and made his way back to Jackal's room, wanting to see if he was awake yet since he didn't come out for breakfast. He quietly opened the door, without so much of a knock, to find the Spaniard still completely asleep. He had shifted positions and how laid facing toward Mozzie with his pillow over his head, but his snores still very much audible.

Mozzie chuckled and shook his head as he approached the bed. Luckily it was a day off for the two of them so Jackal could sleep in this late. Mozzie sat at the edge of the bed by Jackal and stared down at the pillow where his face should be. He poked the pillow, hoping it reached the other man's face. Jackal didn't react. Unsatisfied, Mozzie poked again, this time harder, which led to Jackal's snoring to stop. Mozzie poked again and finally Jackal lifted an arm to move the pillow off his head.

His sleepy eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room and wandered over the surroundings until finally settling on Mozzie. A smile instantly bloomed on his face as he saw the other man and he reached his arm out to poke Mozzie back. Mozzie smiled in return and scoffed as Jackal poked his arm instead of his face since he couldn't reach it laying down.

"Why are you up so early, amigo?" Jackal asked.

"I really wanted breakfast; just a huge fuckin' meal for some reason. And now that I have, I'm fat and happy." Mozzie replied, grinning.

Jackal grinned back and without warning, sat up and reached out for Mozzie, grabbing his arms and forcing him to flop down on top of the Spaniard. "What the--hey!" Mozzie barked a little too late. "Dammit, don't surprise attack me like that." The small man hissed as he glared at Jackal.

Jackal giggled and shifted to make himself more comfortable with the added weight on him, "sorry, sorry. I just wanted to cuddle you before getting up for the day. I want to be a little lazy since it's our day off."

"Hmph, fine, alright. I'll stay for a few minutes but then I want to go be productive." Mozzie stated.

"I suppose we should be, yes." Jackal grumbled, sounding none too happy about getting to work.

Mozzie sighed and stared at the door as he rested his head against the taller man. After a moment of spacing out, he remembered the name Jackal had mumbled to him on their failed hostage mission. He debated if now was really the right time to bring it up, but decided to take the leap anyway, "so who is Faisal?"

Mozzie felt Jackal tense under him as he cleared his throat, "oh. He is my brother. I mean, was." He said quietly.

Mozzie sat up, "oh shit mate, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked." He apologized quickly, now wanting to leave the room.

Jackal wrapped his arms around the smaller man in response, "it's okay, my bug, you didn't know." He replied, smiling gently.

Mozzie sighed and slowly lowered back against the Spaniard, "how long has he been gone?"

"too long," he replied. Mozzie felt Jackal dig his fingers into his shirt, not enough to dig into his skin but enough to cause the fabric to start to bundle under his grip.

The Aussie cleared his throat, "Jackal?"

Jackal came back to his senses and released his curling grip as he flicked his gaze to Mozzie's face, "oh. Sorry, mi amor."

"Mi amor?" Mozzie tried to repeat, "what's it mean?"

Jackal blinked then smiled wide and laughed, "oh, nothing, it's just a term of endearment."

"Oh, okay." Mozzie smiled, confused why the Spaniard laughed. The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, saying nothing and just watching each other's faces.

Jackal was the one to finally break the silence, "Ah, you know what? Since today is one of the rare days we have off, why don't we go to a nice restaurant in town, hm?"

"A nice restaurant, eh? You taking me on a date or somethin'?" Mozzie teased.

"Well, yes, in fact. I will pay for you, you can have whatever you want. Even dessert!" The Spaniard replied excitedly.

Mozzie's eyes widened in surprise. He was joking about it being a date, but now that he knew Jackal was serious he felt butterflies in his stomach. Him on a date with Jackal. Had he secretly been wanting this all along? He still didn't know how he felt about Jackal; his feelings were so mixed up. Even so, he decided he was excited for this date.

"Even dessert? Well fuck me, sign me up!" He grinned.

Jackal smirked, "fuck you, hm? Maybe after a few more dates." He laughed at his own joke and rolled onto his side so he could get off the bed.

Mozzie allowed himself to be rolled over to the side as Jackal got up, now in shock from Jackal's lewd joke. He felt his cheeks heat up in his embarrassment and decided to bury his face in Jackal's pillow to hide it. As he did, he mentally noted that Jackal's pillow smelled of spice and a hint of cologne.

\-----------

Later that day, the two split off into their rooms to change for their date. Mozzie decided to dress in nice clothes for out on the town but avoided dressing too fancy like he would if he were heading to a wedding or something.

He settled on an orange formal button-up shirt with a simple black tie along with the cleanest and newest-looking blue jeans he owned. He did a quick check in the mirror before heading out the door to meet Jackal.

Jackal, meanwhile, was still in his room pacing back and forth in front of the mirror. He was dressed in a purple dress shirt with a black vest over top of it, finished with a white tie. He also put on black khakis that he saved for special occasions but now he was worried it was too much. Did he look  _too_ fancy? Would Mozzie make fun of him for dressing like this? Or on the flip side, he didn't want Mozzie to feel embarrassed about himself if he happened to dresse more casual than Jackal.

As he was debating, there was a knock on his door. He jumped slightly and sighed in relief after realizing it was just the door, walking over to open it. Mozzie was standing in the doorway, grinning excitedly, "damn, look at you!"

Jackal blushed and coughed awkwardly, "you don't think it's too much? Too fancy?"

"Hell no, you look fucking great!" Mozzie said, then stopped and looked away, "I mean, uh, yeah."

Jackal smiled, relieved that Mozzie liked his outfit--loved it, even. "Well then, the Mozzie has spoken. Ready to go?" Mozzie nodded in response and the two left the base.

\-----

Jackal had the perfect restaurant in mind as the two walked down the busy street. "I know of this amazing Italian restaurant just up the street here. Let's hope it's not too busy." The two men approached the restaurant to see that there was no long line to wait in, in fact they were able to get seats right away.

Mozzie sat down in on the booth and purposely did a little bounce on the cushion in his excitement. He had never been to this place before so he was eager to try it out. Jackal slipped in on the opposite side and chuckled at Mozzie's childish enthusiasm.

The waitress flashed a smile as she handed them their menus, making sure to take a few seconds longer to give one to Jackal so she could ogle at him. Jackal either didn't notice or didn't mind as he smiled back innocently and took the menu from her.

Mozzie raised an eyebrow but said nothing and instead began to flip through the menu. The two settled on what they wanted and called the waitress to take their order.

"Okay! Good choice." The waitress replied, looking right at Jackal as she flashed a smile, fully ignoring Mozzie's presence.

Jackal smiled weakly, "ah, thank you, I suppose. He helped me choose it." He said, looking over at Mozzie.

The waitress glanced over at the Aussie and flicked an eyebrow up for a split second before smiling once again, "then you have good taste." She said in a fake friendly way before walking away.

Mozzie looked at Jackal with raised brows. Jackal merely shrugged in response.

The two men chatted as they waited for their food, talking about this and that; the weather, sports, what super power they would have, and anything else in between.

The waitress then returned with their plates of food and as she set Jackal's in front of him, she grinned and placed a small salad bowl by his plate, "another side salad for you; complementary from the, uh, chef!"

"Oh, thank you." Jackal smiled and gave her a small nod, "give him my thanks." The waitress grinned even more--if that was possible--and trotted away.

Mozzie scoffed, "complimentary from the chef, my arse. That girl is fucking desperate."

Jackal chuckled and jabbed his fork into his free salad, "yes she is, poor thing. I feel bad for not being interested."

"Not that she would understand that anyway." Mozzie replied.

"Hm, you're right." Jackal mumbled, staring off at the waitress who was now across the room. He smirked to himself and began to dig into his food as a sudden plan hatched in the back of his mind.

After the pair was finished, the waitress came to retrieve the plates, "so, anything for dessert?" She asked Jackal directly. Mozzie rolled his eyes and rested his chin on his hand with his arm propped up on the table.

Jackal nodded, "yes, actually. Today is me and my boyfriend's anniversary, so we'd like to share a slice of your finest chocolate cake. I've heard it's amazing." He grinned innocently up at the waitress.

Mozzie watched as the waitress's shoulders dropped and as her mouth hung open an inch before she forcefully closed it again, "o-oh! Congratulations, you two! I'll go get that cake slice for you." Her voice quivered ever so slightly as she spoke, clearly shocked after learning Jackal was in fact gay. The woman scurried off as quickly as she could without breaking into a run in order to hide her growing embarrassment.

Mozzie sputtered as he tried to hold back a laugh, but failed at doing so. He braced himself against the table with his hands and laughed so hard his stomach began to ache. Jackal smiled as he watched the other man lose control of his laughter then crossed his arms, "I still feel bad for her, but at least now she knows where my feelings lie."

Mozzie sniffed and wiped the tears from laugh off his face, "my god that was amazing. She looked like she was about to drop the plates from how shocked she was. Fucking hell, I'm crying."

Jackal chuckled, "I can see that. Are you alright?"

"Oh yeah, yeah, just grand." The Aussie sniffed one more time then gave Jackal a thumbs up.

The waitress returned again with their cake, this time saying absolutley nothing as she sat the cake down in front of them and left. The two eagerly dug into the decadent dessert and playfully fought over the last tiny pieces before it was all gone. Mozzie leaned back and wiped his mouth with his napkin, now feeling content. Jackal was right, the cake here was amazing. 

"Mozzie?"

"Yeah?"

"You have..." Jackal trailed off.

"I have what?"

"Hold on." Jackal licked his thumb and leaned over the table to wipe off a small piece of chocolate Mozzie had missed on his face. "Saving it for later?" The Spaniard teased.

Mozzie suddenly grabbed Jackal's hand and licked the end of his thumb to wipe off the chocolate, "as a matter of fact I was." He smirked and let go of the taller man's hand, who was now frozen and utterly speechless. He stared at Mozzie as he slowly moved his hand back down to his side.

Luckily, the waitress came to drop off their check and saved Jackal from the heavy air that was settling around the two men. The Spaniard put the exact amount due for the check into the little money holder then stood and motioned for Mozzie to follow after him.

They left the restaurant and fell in step beside each other on their way back toward the base. The sky was beginning to turn darker shades in a silent warning that night was on its way. Luckily, it was still a comfortable temperature outside to be without a jacket. The two talked and laughed on their walk before Jackal grew strangely quiet.

Mozzie turned his head and looked up at the taller man, "Jackal? You alright?"

"Hm? Yes, I am, why?"

"You stopped talking. And you're not smiling, you're always smiling." Mozzie teased him.

Jackal let out a dry laugh, "yes, well, I guess I'm just thinking back to the waitress."

"What, you want to go ask her out now?" Mozzie joked.

Jackal stopped walking and shook his head, "no, I don't. I mean I was thinking about the lie I used about us being a couple to show her I wasn't interested."

"Oh that! Yeah, that was a good one!" Mozzie laughed and held his stomach but stopped when he noticed Jackal wasn't laughing along with him. "Do you feel bad about shutting her down?" Mozzie questioned.

Again, Jackal shook his head, "no." Was all he said.

"Then I have no fucking idea why you're upset." Mozzie admitted, scratching his head.

Jackal took a step closer to the Aussie, closing the space between them, "what if it didn't have to be just a lie?"

"Just a--wait what? You mean about us being together?" Mozzie sputtered, feeling his face heating up.

"Yes, Mozzie." He put his hands on the shorter man's shoulders, "I think I need to finally tell you that I," he hesitated, "I like you. And I mean this in a romantic way. I've never felt this way about anyone before, so I'm not exactly sure if I'm doing this right." He chuckled awkwardly and took his hands off the smaller man to shove them in his pockets.

Mozzie stood there in shock, unsure of what to do now. As he did, Jackal quickly added, "I understand if you don't feel the same way. This is very, well, sudden, to say the least."

That was the question to be answered then: did Mozzie like Jackal in that way? He reflected back on their time spent together; training, talking on the roof, him being locked in a bear hug by Jackal as the two slept. He realized that he never spent this much time with anyone other than Gridlock and never had they been intimate as he was with the Spaniard. He was best friends with Gridlock, but he knew it was something more with Jackal.

Mozzie glanced up to see Jackal watching him intently. He looked nervous and eager at the same time, wanting to hear Mozzie's response. After a moment longer, the smaller man sighed, "ah shit mate, I'm pretty sure I like you that way too."

Jackal stepped closer, "really? You're being serious?"

Mozzie nodded, "yeah I'm serious. I don't joke around with my feelings. It's the only thing I make an acception to joking about." He grinned.

Jackal let out a laugh that mixed with a sigh of relief before pulling Mozzie into his arms. He clutched him tight against his chest, resting his chin on the top of Mozzie's head.

Meanwhile, Mozzie's face was smothered into the fabric of the Spaniard's jacket. He tried to laugh at the other man's reaction but found he couldn't open his mouth enough so instead was forced to giggle like a little kid.

Jackal then let Mozzie lean back but didn't unwrap his arms. He smiled down at the Aussie then turned to the side and moved to keep one arm wrapped around the Aussie so they could continue to walk, "This was not the way I expected tonight would go, but, you know, I'm okay with that." He admitted.

"Yeah me fuckin' too, mate, me fuckin' too." Mozzie responded.

\----

The two made it back to the base just as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Most of the other operators were already in bed and they decided to head that way too.

"I suppose this means you will be permanently staying in my room, yes?" Jackal grinned deviously at Mozzie.

Mozzie shrugged, "I thought I already was but, just to feed your ego, I'll answer yes." He slipped a white tanktop over his head and walked over to the Spaniard.

"Good." Jackal purred, grabbing Mozzie by the waist and shoving him onto the bed. He flopped down next to the Australian and instantly snaked his arms around the other man in a cuddle. Mozzie huffed and accepted his fate, staring up at the ceiling.

Jackal raised an eyebrow and leaned his face closer to Mozzie, "what're you looking at? Aren't we a couple now, why are you embarrassed?" He teased.

"I'm not embarrassed, I just--" Mozzie wasn't able to finish as Jackal pressed his lips against the other's. Mozzie grunted in surprise as his mind raced but after a moment passed, he relaxed his shoulders and melted into the kiss as he closed his eyes.

Jackal rolled over so he was on top of Mozzie, resting a hand on either side of his head. He pulled back to catch his breath and the two stared at each other with only their heavy breathing keeping the room from being completely quiet.

"I wonder what the others will think about us." Mozzie said as he grinned.

Jackal leaned down and kissed him again, "eh, let's leave that for tomorrow." He mumbled against his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, this was a long chapter xD 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading through the end, I hope you liked the story and the ship itself. 
> 
> Shout out to the amazing Hetsez for helping me pair Mozzie with someone! Go read her stories, they're great!!

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it started pretty slow, not much happening yet, but we'll get there!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! :D


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